CO Stakeholders speak out on Co's Mental Health Crisis

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Orchid Facebook Friend:

Feb. 17, 2018

"Eagle county had over 20 suicides last year. We just lost a 12 year old to suicide last week.

"We have one facility for the valley, and it's not always affordable and they don't usually have appointments readily available.

"We do need to work on treating mental illness, before the rates get any higher."

NOTE:  Eagle County did pass an increase in its Local Marijuana Tax in Nov. 2017 to deal with the Mental Health Crisis.  For more on the Eagle County Tax----

CO's Mental Health Professionals Raising ALARM Over How the State Treats & Approaches Mental Illness

FOX 31

Heidi Baskfield is among the many health professionals in Colorado raising an alarm over the way the state treats and approaches mental illness.

"I think [t]hat we have a crisis with a complete lack of a mental health system," Baskfield said.

Baskfield said 75 facilities that provide mental health services in the state have closed in the past year.  Four of those facilities are dedicated solely to kids.

http://kdvr.com/2018/02/20/colorado-losing-facilities-to-treat-mental-illness/ 
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Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock

FOX 31
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Meanwhile, Sheriff Spurlock is making good on his promise to address what he calls the county's and country's mental health crisis.

He’s talking with state legislators to find more places to put mentally ill people, instead of jail.

“The county jail is not the place for people to be housed for mental health issues,” Sheriff Spurlock said. “We don’t have the capacity to take care of them.”

http://kdvr.com/2018/02/16/sheriff-spurlock-talks-mental-health-shootings-and-deputies-returning-to-work/
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Orchid Facebook Friend (Sept. 2018):

"There is no help for mentally ill.  [M]y grandson tried to kill himself, he was on life support--- that's how bad it was.

[T]he minute he was okay he was back on the street.

[T]ry to get help you can't,  they don't care.

[W]e need mental help we need to help our people that have mental health issues.

[P]utting them on the street and putting them in jail is not doing it and most of them turn to drugs or the alcohol to try to help but that only [makes] the situation [worse]."